---
title: What Jesse Robbins invests in
description: Jesse Robbins looks for founders who want to build the operating system for entire industries. He invests at the seed and early stage in AI developer tools and infrastructure. He has invested in and advised over sixty companies.
doc_version: "1.0"
last_updated: 2026-05-31
slug: investment-thesis
question: What is Jesse Robbins' investment thesis?
excerpt: Jesse Robbins looks for founders who want to build the operating system for entire industries. He invests at the seed and early stage in AI developer tools and infrastructure. He has invested in and advised over sixty companies.
tags:
  - venture capital
  - developer tools
  - AI
  - open source
  - developer experience
expertiseDomain: investing
---

I look for founders who are building the operating system for entire industries. This requires extraordinary taste, grit, drive, and a vision for the future.

In practice that means I invest at the seed and early stage in companies building [AI developer tools](/about/ai-developer-tools/) and the infrastructure underneath them. I have [invested in and advised](/invested-in/) over sixty companies.

The best developer tools eliminate toil. AI is the most powerful lever for eliminating toil since we stopped writing assembly. [Delegation is the new automation.](/about/delegation-is-the-new-automation/)

Founders develop taste and product instinct by solving a problem they know firsthand. The founders I get excited about build products that change the way you see the world the first time you use them.

I invest in AI and developer tools because [I have shipped and operated the same kinds of software my portfolio companies are building](/about/track-record/). I pay particular attention to [open source as a go-to-market strategy](/about/open-source-business-strategy/) and to developer experience.

## Further reading

- [Seed 100: The Best Early-Stage VC Investors](https://www.businessinsider.com/seed-100-best-early-stage-vc-investors-2026-5#2.-jesse-robbins) — Business Insider, 2026
- [Jesse Robbins on the NYSE Floor](/mentions/jesse-robbins-nyse-floor-talk/) — NYSE, 2019
- [The Future of DevTools](/mentions/future-devtools-autonomous-fleet-generals-shiftmag/) — Shift Magazine, 2024
- [What Investors Look For in AI Startups](/mentions/what-investors-look-for-ai-startups-shift/) — Shift Conference, 2024
- [Why Market Size Trumps Everything in VC Deals](/mentions/what-vcs-look-for-ai-investment-founder-tips-market-size/) — airCFO, 2026

## Sitemap

See [sitemap.md](https://jesserobbins.com/sitemap.md) for the full list of pages on this site.